IDK if this would help, but we love all of the BBC/David Attenborough DVD/book series. Life of Birds, Life of Mammals, etc. There are so many. The quality & filming cannot be matched. My college kids have fond memories from their younger years of reading through the companion books as well. It is very much in the evolutionary camp however, so that could be a deal-breaker for some.

OK, I read all of those articles you linked to, SunnyDay. Very interesting. And kind of a bummer for me because...ya, probably not going to go with Khan as our primary. Of course, if I were sitting there watching with them, then that would help. But the reality is that I won't be sitting there with each child every time. Joshin -- I have had my kids accounts set up for a while but there are a couple of features I hadn't explored, so I really appreciate your description of what you do. I think I will definitely seek to use some of those "new" (to me, at least) tools you mentioned. My college girls used Khan from time to time in high school math when they needed different explanations, but it wasn't until my elementary kids started using it that I realized it could be fun too. :) All of this leaves me feeling lost and frustrated!! :( Math Mammoth feels too slow and boring now, although I think it is solid. LOF is fun for the kids and while lots of topics are covered, it certainly doesn't do much on its own for teaching mastery of facts. I was hopeful for Khan, but after hearing some of the comments are reading the blog posts mentioned, that concerns me as well. I know there is no perfect math curriculum for everyone, but I'm really wishing there were! Thank you for all the feedback.

My kids have been using Khan and really like it. I was reading something from Sal (founder) and it got me thinking that maybe I could use Khan as the MAIN math program and then supplement with other stuff. What other stuff? IDK... maybe LOF, PCM, and so on. RS Math Games? I'm a bit scattered on the whole thing. I guess first of all, if your kids use Khan as their primary math, what does that look like on a daily basis? Are they more self-directed, or do you tell them what areas to work on, etc.? What other resources do you add in? What do you see happening in the future? Thanks!

Thank you for the feedback and encouragement! I've been reading through that thread you shared, lewelma, and it's very interesting. I remember a living math book of Penrose...think I loaned that out and didn't get it back. Is that the same thing? I remember there were a few titles in the series. And some of the other things I hadn't heard of, so I will look into that too. I've been thinking more about maybe making better use of Khan as main resource, but I will post separately about that. Thanks again!

My 2nd and 4th graders have been using Math Mammoth for the past couple of years, but it's feeling kind of ... boring. It's just getting a bit repetitive and feels like a chore. Now of course I know that not everything is going to be exciting, but I'm looking for options. For the past two months, they've been primarily working through Life of Fred Elementary and spending time on Khan. In the past 2 weeks we've added in Primary Challenge Math -- the 2nd grader works through Levels 1-2, and the 4th grader goes through the Level 4/Genius. (Although I do talk it through with them; they aren't really able to do it completely on their own, and we talk about how to think through the problem and I teach material if it's needed.) Would working through LOF, Khan, and PCM be a really solid math program? I do worry that this combo will be lacking in repetition; but more traditional math programs seem to just kind of kill the interest and thinking and love for the subject. I guess I'm looking for something that keeps math more... interesting to ALL of us. So...ugh. Any math geeks care to comment? My math baggage: My college students followed a more traditional textbook math for high school, going through pre-calc -- although used Strayer-Upton in the elementary years leading up to pre-algebra, which I think was very solid, and then transitioned at that point -- but in retrospect they were really not very solid in that higher-level math or well-prepared for college math. Not that they are pursuing higher-level math, but it's really not even an option without a ton of catching up. Honestly it's hard to admit that. Or maybe I should stick with MM or try some Strayer-Upton for elementary, or in combo with some of our other current resources, and then come up with a better plan for pre-algebra and beyond??

Love the replies to my questions and the successes shared -- thank you! Maybe I will take the weekend to think things through on what to do here.... Two questions: 1. Do the W&R books build on each other? (Meaning, could we jump in with the second set of books if we didn't want to do fables, or do you think it would really be better to do fables first?) 2. For Kilgallon Sentence Composing, is there just one all-in-one book? I was looking at this sample on Amazon and can't quite tell if that's all you need, or what. The sample pages all looked like TM pages...although I'm working on 4 hours of sleep at best and my comprehension is somewhat compromised at the moment.

Ahh, Nicole, I can relate! I would actually love to hear what you're doing with BW because I haven't really found my niche there, but I suppose that doesn't belong on this thread. (However, PLEASE feel free to PM me or start a thread! Maybe it will motivate us both to use what we have??) I really appreciate hearing some followup from those of you who have been using it for a bit now. I think we're getting to that timeframe where the novelty (or just the "newness") has worn out, so the fact that it is still going well for several of you bodes well. soror -- you mentioned that for the next in the series you would likely buy the student book...would that be in addition to the TM? I know several people earlier on this thread talked about doing just one or the other. roadrunner -- is your 7yo also doing this? what other resources are you weaving in? The earlier posts referencing Kilgallon (sp? it's late!) led me to look that up as well. I've heard about it in past years but never looked at it. I assume you are just using the one elementary book? Why do I keep looking?? More updates are welcome, too! :) Thanks!

Thanks for the update -- I'd love to hear more updates from those who have been using it for the past month or two! I'm floundering with my plans this year...bought BraveWriter but haven't really done much with it, bought Partnership Writing and haven't even opened it. :( So I would love to hear from anyone who ended up merging those and what the value is in that... or if it's just overload. Oh, and I have IEW's SWI-A but haven't been consistent with it. (And while one of my college students said that IEW really helped her be able to attack any writing assignment thrown at her, I didn't use IEW with them until 8th grade and I'm wondering if IEW with a 2nd and 4th grader is really the way to go...but that's probably for another thread!)

Ah, I see what you mean. Well that's really a bummer. I guess I had visions of even my kids being able to do some of their schoolwork on the ipad -- like handwriting practice, some math, worksheets (we don't do many, but the kids like them from time to time and I despise paper clutter so it seemed like a win-win) -- and then of course my own PDF books for notetaking. From what others do, I think I could do it, but it will be an adjustment... and probably not the big solution for my kids I was hoping for. Bummer! But thank you... I'll compare a few tools and see how it goes.

I'm still looking into apps from all the suggestions (love the direction, thanks!), but am frustrated with the stylus. So I found a Brookstone one being clearanced out, so I think it's a fairly decent one. Do any styluses (styli??) have a finer tip to them? How can you write normally or semi-normally with them on a screen?? This is not quite how I envisioned it....

Thanks for the update! I just bought a proclick and got a 25ct of those 2 sizes -- which is ample for now while I get my feet wet with it and figure out what size(s) work best for my needs. So slipping off the little plastic connectors... does it just take a couple of second to "disconnect" one from bunch? You made it sound like it's easy, but it takes some time (of course, multiplied times 100 pieces, that makes sense!). Just curious for future reference. Thanks!

Thank you for all the replies and links! You guys have given me some nice, focused leads and explanations -- just what I need. Although I'm really wishing I was doing all this a month ago.... Trying to patient with myself after just moving again a few weeks ago....

Thank you for your replies! I'm sure everyone has their preferences, but it's so nice to narrow the field (with prices too!) and hear of some apps to avoid as well. Om the topic of a stylus, would you be inclined to get the cheaper kinds for the kids to use? Do you think there is there any problem with letting your kids use the stylus on the iPad? I would think the elementary kids would be good with it, and even the 4yo should be fine although at times he can be a little exuberant in touching a screen when that's required.

How did this turn out? It's a great price, but does it work to pull them out of the cassette and use them manually with the low-end ProClick? Thanks!

I just now remembered that my mom told me years after the fact the she cried when they drove away, leaving me on the curb waving goodbye. And I was only 2+ hours away and could go home every month or so if I wanted. It's funny -- as a mom who has gone through this now, I can totally understand her feelings... but I had no idea at the time that she felt that way. And we weren't really all that close in the months leading up to the "goodbye". Of course, not surprisingly, I was just very focused on ME at the time and I remember feeling a little scared but very excited too. There were times later in those early weeks when I missed home, although I don't know that I every cried... but the time of goodbye wasn't one of them. All this to say... I think a wide spectrum of emotions from both the parents and the young adult can ALL be considered normal, regardless of your previous educational or life experiences.

I am desperate for help and have spent hours looking for how to get better organized to no avail. We used Scholaric last year which is great, but not for us. I get too distracted online ("oh, I'll just check this while the computer is here" and then I wander down a rabbit trail and we all suffer for it), or end up having to bump so many days or subjects here or there. It became more trouble than it was worth. I've usually been quite organized but have really dropped the ball with my younger crew. And our resources are so eclectic -- oh my! I'm getting overwhelmed just trying to describe what I'm looking for! :ohmy: So maybe if someone has some great examples on Pinterest, or someone's blog, or paste in a picture here on this thread?? My kiddos WANT to be able to see everything for the day/week (so do I!). I am just really struggling with reconciling what I want as an ideal with what is actually realistic. - I haven't been happy with online record-keeping options, so I'm thinking paper-based (created on my computer or whatever it takes) - a grid or chart is always visually appealing - or a list, I guess - see either a listing of each subject and what the "next thing" is (so like if you read history 3 days a week then you just do the "next thing" on the list on a history day) - OR see all the assignments for a given day... but maybe this is a personal challenge because then if we miss a subject one day we are now off the pretty schedule or chart - checklists are good. We all like to check off things. HELP!! I used to be so good at all this. People used to ask to see my neat and tidy examples... and we actually used them! But apparently I am not that person anymore... or at least not for the past few years... and we are all suffering from my lack of planned organization! Oh, and I've read some threads about One Note which looks like a dream but we don't have it and our PCs are very old (running Office 2003) and we do most everything on Chromebooks anyway. So that's not going to happen.

There are so many apps, and I am new to iPads (have an iPad 2). I've been using a Kindle Fire (love it!), but one of the things I'd like to be able to do with this larger-screen iPad is: 1) Write/annotate for active "mom" books/resources I have on it (PDFs) 2) Have my elementary kids be able to "write" directly on the screen for certain PDFs we use...and then save it that way... and maybe have 2 of the same PDFs (with a name change) so that 2 kids could "write" on their separate documents. Suggestions? I'd really prefer not to spend $10 on an app -- of course, if I knew I'd LOVE it and could try it out, that would be fabulous. And I guess I will have to buy a stylus for this, so recommendations on that too would be terrific. And I've read some threads about One Note which looks like a dream but we don't have it and our PCs are very old and we do most everything on Chromebooks. THANKS!

I am very impressed, Nancy, that Chapel Hill was so accommodating! Very nice, indeed. But oh... this thread!! Brings up some many memories for me! Last August we moved to a new state, then 10 days later put our 2 oldest on an Amtrak train to go across the country for their freshman year of college. I still have never been out to campus to see where they live. They didn't live together their freshman year, but it was nice to know that even though the campus is huge they would know ONE other person when they got there. In the past year, I've seen each of them twice -- for about 10 days at Christmas, and over the summer I saw one for a month and the other for 10 days again. But they get some good holiday hours working on campus when lots of other people leave, so that's good. That first time of goodbye was just awful! The 3 younger sibs just cried and cried...which made us all cry when we were all previously doing a decent job holding it together. But it did get easier. And even though I am THRILLED for them and this season of their lives and wouldn't want it any other way, I will admit that the first year (1st semester especially) was so hard for ME... I just really missed the little daily things -- their laughing, their teasing, their high energy and just love of life that teenagers/young adults have. They are just FUN people to be around and really became my friends in those last couple of years. So moving to a new state where I knew no one AND had them leave at the same time was just so hard. But isn't it great to have these wonderful young adults in our lives, wherever they may be?

Thank you so much!! I'm back home from the book sale now, but went ahead and bought the book thanks to your quick replies. Actually, I really like how THIN the book is without the student pages. ;) Thanks again!

I am at a book sale right now and someone has the teacher portion, spiral bound, of WWE-2. I have WWE-3 and you need the student portion because some of the stories are in there. But for WWE-2 is the student portion necessary, or is everything I need in the TM? Assuming the child works on a separate sheet of paper, of course. ;) Thanks so much!

Wow, this has been very insightful! Thank you so much for all the comments...you've given me much to think about. I appreciate your honesty. We have a couple of options on the table, and I'm not feeling particularly drawn to this location but we shall see what happens. I don't even know what else to ask right now! lol

Thank you so much for all your replies! This is just such a huge help to me, I can't even tell you how much. Would this be a good time to mention that I have an aversion to centipedes in particular?? It stems back from our first basement apartment as newlyweds and the centipede nest in our bedroom. <sigh> So I have to confess I'm freaking out a bit about the centipede comment...and roaches? OK, so I will never be an entomologist, it's safe to say. lol I did visit Hawaii when I was about 12yo or so, with my grandparents. We were on Oahu and I remember the Polynesian Culture Center and Hanauma Bay, among other things. So I don't feel like it's much to go on. I think I love the *idea* of Hawaii and what it represents. Is that silly? And I have struggled with letting go and THINGS and decluttering for years, so I like the idea of essentially being forced to let go of all that is really extra. Is that crazy? I think my dh would love the job, and I think we love the idea of living there...but I'm not sure that we are prepared for the reality vs the idea.

We are considering a job offer that would have my dh working in the West Palm Beach, FL area. We've always lived in the midwest -- Wisconsin, Chicago, St Louis. What can we expect in terms of daily living, homeschooling, climate, cost of living, housing for a family of 5 (with a cat and dog), bugs, whatever!! And assuming we continue a modest lifestyle, is it possible to reasonably live in a family-friendly area on a hair more than $50k/yr? (and I'm starting another thread with the same questions relating to a similar prospect on the Big Island of Hawaii....)

Talking like the Waimea / Kamuela area, not Kona or Hilo. We've always lived in the midwest of the mainland -- Wisconsin, Chicago, St Louis. Besides climate, what can we expect in terms of daily living, homeschooling, cost of living, housing for a family of 5 who would like to bring a cat and dog (and I've reviewed some of those transport issues), bugs, whatever!! And assuming we continue a modest lifestyle, is it possible to live on a hair more than $50k/yr? (and I'm starting another thread with the same questions relating to a similar prospect in Florida....)

Do you think it's worth it? Has it revolutionized the way you homeschool, or given you opportunities you didn't already have, or made you much more likely to do certain things? How has it benefited your kids? Has it been a negative in any way? I have an opportunity to get an ipad if it's primary function is educational -- my kids at home are 4, 7, almost 9. They use a computer for typing, some online math, and such. Nothing major. I do put copywork on a laptop screen for them sometimes when they are at the kitchen table. The older two have defunct smartphones with the Kindle App so they can read some Kindle books that way (although I think the screen is way small for that, but I guess they don't mind?). I do NOT want another gaming device, so while there may be 2-3 games on it for sporadic use, I can only justify my cost if it's true value is educational. Thoughts? I'm sure there are threads out there on apps, but would welcome hearing about any here as well.